The Cyber Resilience and Trust Report calls on the cyber security industry to develop its people, processes, policies and technologies to collectively rebuild the critical trust required for positive digital advances to succeed.

“It is clear that digital transformation has revolutionised modern life. Yet as usage has increased, what we do not have is a corresponding improvement in security measures capable of protecting people’s data. The industry’s current approach to cyber security is overly reliant on perimeter security and reaction to threats, leaving entities vulnerable to attack,” said Faisal Al Bannai, Founder and CEO of DarkMatter.

Al Bannai added that in order to really benefit from technology, organisations must become cyberresilient. This means having the ability to not only recover quickly from cyberattacks, but to end up stronger. Equally, developers and suppliers of technology should become more transparent around the capabilities of their products and technologies, to begin rebuilding trust.

Establishing institutional trust and transparency are highlighted as key preconditions to achieving cyber resilience in the long run. In the report, this is envisioned as a Dome of Trust and Transparency which calls for industry-wide platforms to allow organisations to conduct comprehensive reviews of hardware and software before installation.

In order to make this shift towards cyber resilience, DarkMatter outlines key tactical steps for the industry to take. The report reiterates a need for cyber security functions in business and government to gain organisational visibility and relevance, while also allowing for investment in software and talent.

As the Middle East continues to rapidly digitise in-line with other parts of the world, hackers will have greater opportunities to exploit vulnerabilities. Across the region, companies suffer larger losses than corresponding areas around the globe due to cyber incidents, according to reports.